The University of Nebraska at Kearney and the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation will receive nearly $20,000 in wellness grants on Sunday, June 25, at Harmon Park.

The grants will be presented at 6 p.m. and will precede the award presentations for the 2012 Community Olympic Games.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) will award a $10,000 Wellness Grant to support the hospital foundation’s Buffalo County Tobacco Cessation Initiative program. This program will provide education to nearly 3,800 middle and high school students to promote tobacco cessation.

Speakers will include Dr. Megan Adkins, associate professor in the UNK Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Leisure Studies, and Dana Welsh, an oncology outreach nurse coordinator at Good Samaritan’s Cancer Center. They will speak about their respective organizations and how the grant money will be used.

In all, BCBSNE is awarding $100,000 in Wellness Grants to nine organizations throughout Nebraska. The Wellness Grant program supports organizations that aim for building healthier communities in the state.